Effect of initial nickel particle size on stability of nickel catalysts for aqueous phase reforming

The deactivation behavior by crystallite growth of nickel nanoparticles on various supports（carbon nanofibers, zirconia, Si C, α-Al2O3 and γ-Al2O3） was investigated in the aqueous phase reforming of ethylene glycol. Supported Ni catalysts of ~10 wt% were prepared by impregnation of carbon nanofibers（CNF）,Zr O2, SiC, γ-Al2O3 and α-Al2O3. The extent of the Ni nanoparticle growth on various support materials follows the order CNF ~ ZrO2〉 SiC 〉 γ-Al2O3〉〉 α-Al2O3 which sequence, however, was determined by the initial Ni particle size. Based on the observed nickel leaching and the specific growth characteristics; the particle size distribution and the effect of loading on the growth rate, Ostwald ripening is suggested to be the main mechanism contributing to nickel particle growth. Remarkably, initially smaller Ni particles（~12 nm） supported on α-Al2O3 were found to outgrow Ni particles with initially larger size（~20 nm）. It is put forward that the higher susceptibility with respect to oxidation of the smaller Ni nanoparticles and differences in initial particle size distribution are responsible for this behavior.

Determination of Particle Sizes and Crystalline Phases on Colloidal Silicon Nanoparticle Suspensions

Particle size and crystallinity of silicon nanoparticles were determined by analyzing the optical extinction spectra of colloidal suspensions. Experimental results from these colloids were anaiyzed using Mie theory in connection with effective medium theory, in order to determine particle sizes and their internal structure with the simple technique of optical transmission spectroscopy. By modeling an effective refractive index for the particles, the crystalline volume fraction can be extracted from extinction spectra in addition to information about the size. The crystalline volume fraction determined in this way were used to calibrate the ratio of the Raman cross sections for nanocrystalline and amorphous silicon, which was found to be σc./σa = 0.66

Effect of particle size and grain composition on two-dimensional infiltration process of weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores

The two-dimensional infiltration experiment was carried out by means of digital image technology.The evolution process of the wetting body was described.The wetted front distance and the time show a very significant power function relationship.The horizontal wetted distance is larger than the vertical wetted distance in the initial stage.Then,the vertical distance of the wetted body gradually approaches to the horizontal distance.The infiltration distance decreases as the content of fine particles increases.The wetted front migration rate curve shows a three-stage change law,and it increases with the increase of coarse particle content.The directional velocity ratio is defined.The initial value of horizontal infiltration rate is larger than that of vertical one,and then the vertical infiltration rate is gradually close to the horizontal value.The empirical relationship between the characteristic particle size and the stable infiltration rate is established,which provides a theoretical basis for the prediction of the stable infiltration rate in in-situ leaching.

Effects of Additive AlCl_3 on Crystal Phase, Particle Size and Microstructural Parameters of Nanocrystalline TiO_2 Prepared by HF-PCVD

Nanocrystalline TiO2 was prepared by high frequency plasma chemical vapor deposition (HF-PCVD). The effects of additive AlCl3 on crystal phase, particle size and microstructurai parameters of TiO2 nanocrystallites were investigated by X-ray diffraction(XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The nanocrystallites obtained experimentally are mixture of anatase and rutile, the uniform diameters of particles are about 30 nm. The phase transformation from anatase to rutile was accelerated by AlCl3, and rutile content is increased from 26.7 wt pct to 53.6 wt pct with increasing of addition of AlCl3 from 0.0 wt pct to 5.0 wt pct. The particle size is reduced and the size distribution becomes very narrow. The crystal lattice constants have the trend to decrease, and celi volumes appear as shrinkable.

Effect of CuO particle size on synthesis temperature and microstructure of Al_2O_(3p)-Al composites from Al-CuO system

Al2O3p-Al composites were synthesized using an in-situ reaction in the 80%Al-20%CuO （mass fraction） system. The effects of the CuO particle size on the synthesis temperature and microstructure of the composites were investigated by various methods. The results indicate that the CuO particle size has a significant effect on the temperature at which the complete reaction in the Al-CuO system occurs：the temperature is 200 ℃ lower in the Al-CuO system containing CuO particles with sizes less than 6μm than that containing CuO particles with sizes less than 100μm. The interfacial bonding between Al2O3 particles and Al is not complete when the temperature is below a critical value. The morphology of the Al2O3 particles varies from ribbon-like shape to near spherical shape when the temperature is above a critical value. These two critical temperatures are affected by the particle size of CuO, and the critical temperature of the sample containing CuO particles with sizes less than 6μm is 100 ℃ lower than that of the sample containing CuO particles with sizes less than 100μm.

Effect of particle size on the microstructure and thermal conductivity of Al/diamond composites prepared by spark plasma sintering

Spark plasma sintering （SPS） was used to fabricate Al/diamond composites. The influence of diamond particle size on the microstructure and thermal conductivity （TC） of composites was investigated by combining experimental results with model prediction. The results show that both composites with 40 pan particles and 70 μm particles exhibit high density and good TC, and the composite with 70 μm particles indicates an excellent TC of 325 W.m^-1.K^-1. Their TCs lay between the theoretical estimated bounds. In contrast, the composite with 100 lain particles demonstrates low density as well as poor TC due to its high porosity and weak interfacial bonding. Its TC is even considerably less than the lower bound of the predicted value. Using larger diamond particles can further enhance thermal conductive performance only based on the premise that highly dense composites of strong interfacial bonding can be obtained.

Effects of silver powder particle size on the microstructure and properties of Ag-Yb_2O_3 electrical contact materials prepared by spark plasma sintering

mg-Yb203 electrical contact materials were fabricated by spark plasma sintefing （SPS）. The effects of silver powder particle size on the microstructure and properties of the samples were investigated. The surface morphologies of the sintered samples were examined by optical microscope （OM）, and the fracture morphologies were observed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The physical and mechanical properties such as density, electrical resistivity, microhardness, and tensile strength were also tested. The results show that the silver powder particle size has evident effects on the sintered materials. Comparing with coarse silver powder （5 ktm）, homogeneous and fme microstmcture was obtained by fine silver powder （_〈0.5-1am）. At the same time, the electrical conductivity, microhardness, and tensile strength of the sin- tered samples with fine silver powder were higher than those of the samples with coarse silver powder. However, silver powder particle size has little influence on the relative densities, which of all samples （both by free and coarse silver powders） is more than 95%. The fracture characteristics are ductile.

Influence of B4C particle size on microstructure and damping capacities of(B_(4)C+Ti)/Mg composites

To study the influence of B4C particle size on the microstructure and damping capacities of(B_(4)C+Ti)/Mg composites,in situ reactive infiltration technique was utilized to prepare Mg-matrix composites.The microstructure,produced phases and damping capacities of the composites prepared with different particle size of B4C were characterized and analyzed.The results show that the reaction between B4C and Ti tends to be more complete when finer B_(4)C particle was used to prepare the composites.But the microstructure of the as-prepared composites is more homogenous when B4C and Ti have similar particle size.The strain-dependent damping capacities of(B_(4)C+Ti)/Mg composites improve gradually with the increase of strain amplitude,and composites prepared with coarser B4C particles tend to have higher damping capacities.The temperature-dependent damping capacities improve with increasing the measuring temperatures,and the kind of damping capacities of the composites prepared with 5mm B4C are inferior to those of coarser particles.The dominant damping mechanism for the strain-damping capacity is dislocation damping and plastic zone damping,while that for the temperature-damping capacity is interface damping or grain boundary damping.

Effect of particle size on thermo-physical properties of SiC_p/Cu composites fabricated by squeeze casting

For the electronic packaging applications, copper matrix composites reinforced with different sized SiC particles （10 μm, 20 μm and 63 μm） were fabricated by squeeze casting technology. And the effect of particle size on their thermo-physical properties was discussed. The composites are free of porosity and the SiC particles are distributed uniformly in the composites. It is found that the mean linear thermal expansion coefficients（20100 ℃） of SiCp/Cu composites are in the range of （8.49.2）×10-6/℃, and smaller expansion coefficient can be obtained for the composites with finer SiC particles because of the larger restriction in expansion through interfaces. Their thermal conductivities are reduced with the decrease of SiC sizes. This is attributed to the fact that the negative effect of interfacial thermal resistance becomes increasingly dominant as the particles becomes smaller.

Effect of graphite particle size on wear property of graphite and Al_2O_3 reinforced AZ91D-0.8%Ce composites

The graphite particles and Al_2O_3 short fibers reinforced AZ91D-0.8%Ce composites were fabricated by squeeze-infiltration technique.The researches about the effects of different graphite particle sizes on the microstructure and wear property of the composites were performed under the condition of constant contents of graphite particles and Al_2O_3 short fibers.The results reveal that the grain size of the composites changes less when the graphite particle size descends.Moreover,Ce enriches around the graphite particle and Al_2O_3 short fibers and forms Al_3Ce phase with A1 element.The graphite that works as lubricant decreases the wear loss.The wear resistance of the composites increases as the graphite particle size increases.At low load the composites have similar wear loss;at high load the composite with the largest graphite particle size has the best wear resistance.The wear mechanism of all the composites at low load is abrasive wear and oxidation wear;at high load,except the composites with the particle size of 240μm whose wear mechanism is still abrasive wear and oxidation wear,the wear mechanism of others changes to delamination wear.

Influence of Particle Size on Piezoelectricity of Piezo-composites

Serial material model （Dilute model）and Limited Units （LU）method were employed to analyze the performance of binary piezo-composite system.The reckoned electric potential deployments illustrated difference while the particles were different.Their piezoelectricities were also calculated according to the model,and furthermore comparation suggested that small particles living in the tolerance improve the piezoelectricity of piezo-composite.Experiments coinciding with analyses were processed simultaneously. Ceramics were milled for different time in order to control the concentration of particle size.The results showed that the filled particles enhanced the piezoelectricity of binary piezo-composite system efficiently whereas too many chips deteriorated the performance of piezo-composites.

The Effects of Filler Contents and Particle Sizes on the Mechanical and End-Use Properties of Snail Shell Powder Filled Polypropylene

Polypropylene composites of snail shell powder were prepared at filler contents, 0 to 40 wt%. The particle sizes of the snail shell powder investigated were 0.150, 0.30, and 0.42 μm. Talc, of particle size, 0.150 μm was used as the reference filler. The polypropylene composites were prepared in an injection moulding machine and the resulting composites were extruded as sheets. Some mechanical and end-use properties of the prepared composites were determined. Results showed that the snail shell powder improved the tensile modulus, flexural strength, and impact strength of polypropylene and these properties increased with increases in the filler content and decreases in the filler particle size. The elongation at break of the composites was however observed to decrease with increases in the filler content, and particle size. The elongation at break of talc filled polypropylene was zero, an indication of the brittle nature of polypropylene composites of talc. The hardness, water sorption (24-hr) and specific gravity of the composites were found to increase with increases in the filler content, and decreases in the filler particle size. The level of water absorbed by snail shell powder composites of polypropylene is considerably higher than that of talc filled polypropylene. The flame retardant properties of the prepared composites were however found to decrease with increases in the filler content, and particle size. Generally, snail shell powder was found to show greater property improvement over talc in the prepared composites.

Effect of TiC particle size on microstructure and mechanical properties of 1%TiC_p/W composites

The nano-TiCp/W and micro-TiCp/W composites containing 1% TiC(mass fraction) particles with average particle sizes of 50 nm and 1.5 μm were fabricated respectively by high energy ball milling and vacuum hot pressing(VHP) at 2 373 K,30 MPa,in a vacuum of 1×10-3 Pa. Microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were examined at room temperature. The results show that both n-TiC and μ-TiC particles are homogeneously distributed in the as-sintered composites. The size of n-TiC particle is about 100 nm,and that of μ-TiC particle is about 1 μm. The additions of n-TiC and μ-TiC particles both result in higher mechanical properties compared with monolithic W. The improved mechanical properties may be mainly attributed to the grain size strengthening,dispersion strengthening and grain boundaries strengthening. The addition of n-TiC particles to tungsten is found to have beneficial effects on the mechanical properties than that of μ-TiC due to its small size.

Effects of particle size on residual stresses of metal matrix composites

A finite element analysis was carned out on the development of residual stresses during the cooling process from the fabrication temperature in the SiCp reinforced Al matrix composites. In the simulation, the two-dimensional and random distribution multi-particle unit cell model and plane strain conditions were used. By incorporating the Taylor-based nonlocal plasticity theory, the effect of particle size on the nature, magnitude and distribution of residual stresses of the composites was studied. The magnitude thermal-stress-induced plastic deformation during cooling was also calculated. The results show similarities in the patterns of thermal residual stress and strain distributions for all ranges of particle size. However, they show differences in magnitude of thermal residual stress as a result of strain gradient effect. The average thermal residual stress increases with decreasing particle size, and the residual plastic strain decreases with decreasing particle size.

Effect of particle size on the thermal performance of NaNO3/SiC)2/C composite phase-change materials

Storage of thermal energy is a key technology for energy conservation and application of renewable energy sources. In this paper, the thermal performance of inorganic composite phase-change materials (PCMs;NaNO3/SiO2/C) is studied under extreme thermal conditions and the effect of raw particle size is examined. We designed a thermal shock test platform with a diffusive combustion system and in-situ infrared thermal imaging. The influences of the heat flux magnitude and exposure time on the performance of the PCMs were examined under vertical thermal shock conditions. Leakage of molten salt in the composite PCMs was observed as the heat flux reached a threshold point. The morphology and thermal properties were characterized by ex-situ SEM, XRD, DSC, and BET. Raw particles with sizes in the range of 105-500 μm were used to synthesize the composite material and examine its role in thermal shock behavior. Our experiments showed that deterioration of the thermal storage density was slowed as the particle size was increased. This work provides useful guidance for improving the anti-thermal shock ability of future material designs.

Particle modulations to turbulence in two-phase round jets

The particle modulations to turbulence in round jets were experimentally studied by means of two-phase velocity measurements with Phase Doppler Anemometer （PDA）. Laden with very large particles, no significant attenuations of turbulence intensities were measured in the farfields, due to small two-phase slip velocities and particle Reynolds number. The gas-phase turbulence is enhanced by particles in the near-fields, but it is significantly attenuated by the small particles in the far-fields. The smaller particles have a more profound effect on the attenuation of turbulence intensities. The enhancements or attenuations of turbulence intensities in the far-fields depends on the energy production, transport and dissipation mechanisms between the two phases, which are determined by the particle prop- erties and two-phase velocity slips. The non-dimensional parameter CTI is introduced to represent the change of turbulence intensity.

Effect of Wood Particle Size on the Properties of Wood/Polypropylene Composites Ⅰ:Mechanical Properties

The mechanical properties of wood powder/polypropy!ene composites with different wood particle sizes and wood species have been studied. All of the wood particie sizes increased the E-modulus of the composites. Tensile tests showed that wood partide sizes had a negative effect on the elongation at break and the tensile strength of the composites has been improved when wood particle sizes were be(ow 150 μm (below 100 mesh). For the impact tests, the wood partide sizes had a negative effect, but the MDF f...

Effect of particle size on the transformation kinetics of flue gas desulfurization gypsum to α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate under hydrothermal conditions

The effect of particle size on the transformation kinetics of flue gas desulfurization (FGD)gypsum to α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate (α-HH)in calcium chloride (CaCl2)solutions was investigated to better guide value-added FGD gypsum use.Gypsum samples from different sources were sieved into several size groups,and their transformation rates were compared.The results showed that using FGD gypsum with a smaller particle size accelerated the transformation to α-HH.The size effect accelerated nucleation kinetics of α-HH rather than its crystal growth rate (that is,the thermodynamic driving force for the transformation changed little with particle size variation).Analysis using a kinetics model revealed that a smaller gypsum particle size lowered the overall activation energy barrier for the transformation.This is because the smaller gypsum particles had a larger relative specific surface area and thus provided more nucleation sites and crystalline defects to promote α-HH nucleation.A smaller particle size of FGD gypsum also gave a higher yield of fine α-HH particles because of the increased incidence of primary and secondary nucleation coupled with attrition.This paper indicates the transformation of FGD gypsum into α-HH could be effectively promoted by regulating FGD gypsum particle size.

Effect of Particle Size on Mechanical Properties and Fracture Behaviors of Age-Hardening SiC/Al–Zn–Mg–Cu Composites

15 vol.% SiC/Al-6.5Zn-2.8 Mg-1.7 Cu(wt%) composites with varying particle sizes(3.5, 7.0, 14 and 20 μm), i.e., C-3.5, C-7.0, C-14, and C-20, respectively, were fabricated by powder metallurgy(PM) method and subjected to microstructural examination. The effect of particle size on mechanical properties and fracture behaviors of the T6-treated composites was revealed and analyzed in detail. Element distribution and precipitates variations in the composites with varying particle sizes were emphatically considered. Results indicated that both tensile strength and plasticity of the T6-treated composites increased first and then decreased with particle size decreasing. The C-7.0 composite simultaneously exhibited the highest ultimate tensile strength(UTS) of 686 MPa and best elongation(El.) of 3.1%. The smaller-sized SiC particle would introduce more oxide impurities, which would react with the alloying element in the matrix to cause Mg segregation and depletion. According to strengthening mechanism analysis, the weakening of precipitation strengthening in the T6-treated C-3.5 composite was the main cause of the lower tensile strength. Additionally, the larger SiC particle, the more likely to fracture, especially in the composites with high yield strength. For the T6-treated C-20 composites, more than 75% SiC particles were broken up, resulting in the lowest plasticity. As decreasing particle size, the fracture behaviors of the T6-treated composites would change from particle fracture to matrix alloy fracture gradually.

Effect of CuO Particle Size on the Microstructure Evolution of Al_2O_(3P)/Al Composites Prepared Via Displacement Reactions in the Al/CuO System

An A1203p/A1 composite was successfully synthesized using a displacement reaction between 80 wt% A1 and 20 wt% CuO powders at a heating rate of 5 ℃/min. Two different sizes CuO particles were used, and all the experiments were conducted under an argon atmosphere. To analyze the microstructural evolution during synthesis, the A1-20 wt% CuO samples were heated to the temperatures selected according to the differential scanning calorimetry curve and then immediately quenched with water. The phase composites and microstructure of the water-quenching samples were in- vestigated using X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectrometry. The results indicate that the CuO particle size has a significant effect on the microstructural evolution of the samples during the heating stage and on the microstructure of synthesized composites. Smaller CuO particles can decrease the reaction temperature, narrow the reaction temperature range at the different reaction stages during the heating stage and make the size and distribution of in situ A1203 particles more uniform. The reaction between A1 and CuO can be complete as the temperature rises to 900 ℃. The size of the in situ A1203 particles is approximately 5 μm when the size of the CuO particles is less than 6 μm. This sample has a relatively high Rockwell hardness of 60 HRB.